Coming back to Williamsburg for William & Mary Homecoming 2026
Some returns start long before the first event: the first walk across the Sunken Garden, the classmate you haven't seen since graduation, or showing your kids the campus that shaped you. William & Mary Homecoming & Reunion Weekend runs Thursday, October 22 through Sunday, October 25, 2026, in Williamsburg, Virginia. Online registration closes October 13. On-site registration is available October 22–24, subject to availability. This guide covers the official facts first. Then it helps you build the rest of the weekend, from where to sleep to how to get around once you're here.
Key takeaways
- Dates: Thursday, October 22 through Sunday, October 25, 2026, in Williamsburg, Virginia.
- Milestone: 2026 marks the 100th anniversary of William & Mary's first Homecoming, held October 23, 1926.
- Registration: Online registration closes October 13. On-site registration runs October 22–24 at the Alumni House.
- Friday anchors: The Parade & Watch Parties, the Sunset Ceremony and Friday Night Foodie Fest.
- Saturday anchors: The Tailgate & Family Carnival, Georgetown at Zable Stadium and the Saturday Night Bash.
- Stay strategy: Choose lodging by room fit, parking needs and how much of Williamsburg you want beyond campus.
When and where William & Mary Homecoming 2026 happens
William & Mary Homecoming & Reunion Weekend takes place Thursday, October 22 through Sunday, October 25, 2026, in Williamsburg, Virginia. Official programming is spread across campus:
- the Alumni House and its lawn
- Richmond Road for the parade
- Wren Courtyard
- the Sunken Garden
- Sadler Center
- Zable Stadium at Cary Field
The official hub is homecoming.wm.edu, and the full schedule is on the Homecoming events calendar.
On-site registration and check-in take place in Hunter Hall A at the Alumni House:
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Thursday, Oct. 22 | noon–5 p.m. |
| Friday, Oct. 23 | 9 a.m.–6 p.m. |
| Saturday, Oct. 24 | 9 a.m.–6 p.m. |
Evening on-site registration for Sunken Garden events runs Friday 6–9:30 p.m. and Saturday 6–10:30 p.m. Questions go to the Alumni Association at 757-221-1750 or advevents@wm.edu.
Why 2026 is a meaningful year for William & Mary Homecoming
This year marks 100 years since William & Mary's first Homecoming. The university's Homecoming site describes the 2026 weekend as marking "the 100th anniversary of Homecoming." The Swem Library open house is billed as part of "William & Mary's 100th Homecoming celebration."
The first Homecoming took place on October 23, 1926. It included dances and a football game against George Washington University, which William & Mary won 14–0. That means Friday of this year's weekend falls exactly a century to the day after the first one. The first Homecoming parade followed in 1929.
The tradition draws big numbers. More than 4,000 members of the William & Mary community gathered for Homecoming & Reunion Weekend in 2024.
The 2026 weekend celebrates the 5th through 45th reunions. That covers the classes of 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016 and 2021. The 50th, 55th and 60th reunions take place during Traditions Weekend in the spring.
For the centennial, the Swem Library Open House: 100 Years of Homecoming shows photographs, memorabilia, publications and Special Collections highlights. It opens Friday, October 23, 11 a.m.–3 p.m., and continues Saturday.
Williamsburg is also in the middle of a wider anniversary year, with national 250th-anniversary programming taking place across the country. The America 250 celebrations are worth a look if you're extending the trip.
The William & Mary Homecoming 2026 schedule at a glance
The table below is a planning summary. Times and availability belong to William & Mary, so check the official Homecoming events calendar before you lock anything in. The university is adding events until 5 p.m. Friday, October 16, so recheck the calendar after that date.
| Day | Official anchor events | Planning action | Base camp cue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, Oct. 22 | Opening and reunion programming; on-site registration noon–5 p.m. at Hunter Hall A | Arrive, check in and confirm registrations | Contactless check-in and free parking outside your door make an after-work arrival easy |
| Friday, Oct. 23 | Swem centennial open house, Parade Kickoff Celebration, Parade & Watch Parties, Sunset Ceremony, Friday Night Foodie Fest | Leave a buffer around the 4–5 p.m. parade | Head back for a reset between campus daytime and the night's plans |
| Saturday, Oct. 24 | Presidential Conversation, Tailgate & Family Carnival, reunion class photos, Georgetown football, Saturday Night Bash | Confirm football tickets, parking and stadium policies | Plan for a late return after the Bash |
| Sunday, Oct. 25 | No Sunday-specific events listed; the School of Education's "New Republic, New Worlds" runs Oct. 23–25 | Check individual listings before setting your departure time | Leave room for one last campus loop before the drive home |
Friday, October 23: parade, Foodie Fest and reunion evenings
Friday is the fullest day of the weekend:
| Event | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Parade Kickoff Celebration | 3–5 p.m. | Alumni House Lawn |
| Homecoming Parade & Watch Parties | 4–5 p.m. | Richmond Road |
| Sunset Ceremony | 5:30–6:30 p.m. | Wren Courtyard |
| Friday Night Foodie Fest | 7:30–10:30 p.m. | Sunken Garden, Main Tent |
The Sunset Ceremony is one of Homecoming's quieter traditions. It honors alumni who died during the previous year. If you can catch the Swem open house that morning, the evening's history lands a little harder.
Saturday, October 24: tailgates, Georgetown and the Saturday Night Bash
Saturday runs from morning to late night:
| Event | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Presidential Conversation | 10–11:15 a.m. | Sadler Center |
| Homecoming Tailgate & Family Carnival | noon–3 p.m. | Sunken Garden |
| Reunion class pictures | 12:30–2:30 p.m., in 15-minute slots by class | Sunken Garden |
| William & Mary vs. Georgetown | 3:30 p.m. kickoff | Zable Stadium at Cary Field |
| Saturday Night Bash | 8:30–11:30 p.m. | Sunken Garden |
Class pictures run from the class of 1981 first to the class of 2021 last. Tribe Athletics has confirmed the 3:30 p.m. kickoff.
Game-day reminder: Football tickets are not part of weekend registration and must be bought separately. Tribe Athletics has used a clear-bag policy at Zable Stadium since 2023, and backpacks and drawstring bags are not allowed. Confirm gate times, bag rules, stadium parking and accessibility directly with Tribe Athletics before you leave.
Thursday arrival and Sunday departure
Arrive Thursday if you can. Friday's programming starts in the morning, and the parade lands at 4 p.m. A Thursday check-in means Friday is spent on campus instead of in the car.
Sunday has no Sunday-specific events on the official calendar. Treat it as a slower Williamsburg morning: coffee, a final walk across campus with whoever stayed, and an unhurried drive home. If you're attending School of Education programming, confirm its timing first.
How to register for William & Mary Homecoming 2026
Register through homecoming.wm.edu. Online registration closes October 13, 2026. On-site registration is available October 22–24 at Hunter Hall A in the Alumni House. Some community events require separate registration.
Work through these steps in order:
- Review your reunion class and school-specific events first.
- Register for the event that brought you back before adding optional programming.
- Buy football tickets separately through the official Homecoming football page. Discounted tickets are sold only through the event's GoFevo page.
- Review ticketed meals for dietary options, child pricing and attendance rules.
- Add confirmed events to your calendar with their locations.
- Book lodging alongside your event plans, especially if you're traveling with family or reunion friends.
Important dates: Early-bird pricing ended September 11, and full-refund cancellations closed October 6. If you miss the October 13 online deadline, on-site registration runs Thursday noon–5 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Evening registration for Sunken Garden events runs Friday 6–9:30 p.m. and Saturday 6–10:30 p.m., subject to availability.
Where to stay for William & Mary Homecoming 2026
Start with your group, not the map. Answer these questions first:
- How many of you are sharing?
- Is anyone driving in after work on Thursday?
- Who wants to stay out until the Bash ends at 11:30?
- Do you need parking that doesn't depend on campus lots?
- How much of Williamsburg do you want to see beyond the Sunken Garden?
Here's the contrarian part: the room closest to Zable Stadium isn't automatically the right room for a four-day return. A stadium-adjacent double works for one night. It works less well for a family of five, or for four classmates who want to keep talking after the Bash.
William & Mary's Homecoming site points visitors to the university's lodging page for hotel options. The options below are independent of that list.
1. The Rochambeau Roadside Inn: best for reunion groups, families and alumni driving in
The Rochambeau Roadside Inn is a 22-room independent inn at 929 Capitol Landing Road, about two miles from the College of William & Mary. The building dates to 1952 and first welcomed guests as Motel Rochambeau in 1954. Williamsburg native Lyle Schiavone bought the property in 2024 and restored it, with his sister Anna Schiavone as Creative Director.
The finishes are what guests mention most: glass shower doors, full tile surrounds and Paramount Sleep mattresses handcrafted in Norfolk. Many reviewers say they were surprised by the rooms, and you can read guest reviews before booking to judge for yourself.
The rooms are where Homecoming groups find their fit:
- Family Suite (sleeps 5): A bunk room and a Standard King room joined by an interior passage, each with its own en suite bathroom. This suits multigenerational alumni families who want to share a space without sharing a bathroom.
- Bunks (sleeps 4): A hand-crafted, built-in bunk bed with a queen on the bottom and a full on top. This works for reunion friends who would rather split one room than four.
- General's Quarters (sleeps 4): A 470-square-foot one-bedroom suite with a king bedroom, a living room with a kitchenette, a fold-down queen sofa and a private rear patio. It has a two-night minimum, so it suits couples treating the milestone like an occasion.
- Classic Double (sleeps 4): Two full beds and an en suite bathroom. It's the only pet-friendly room type, at a flat $75 per dog.
The practical details matter more on a weekend like this:
- free parking directly outside your room
- contactless check-in for late Thursday arrivals
- complimentary bicycles
- free firewood at the firepit for whoever is still up after the Bash
See the rooms, amenities and gallery before you choose.
Other Williamsburg options worth comparing
Different trips call for different bases, and Williamsburg has several options to consider:
- Colonial Williamsburg Hotels (Williamsburg Inn and Williamsburg Lodge)
- Fife and Drum Inn
- Cedars of Williamsburg
- Williamsburg White House
- Wedmore Place
- Hampton Inn & Suites Williamsburg Historic District
- Rodeway Inn Historic Area
When Rochambeau is the wrong fit: If you want a served, sit-down breakfast or need to walk to every campus event, look elsewhere. Rochambeau works best for room configurations, on-site parking, an easy arrival and a Williamsburg base beyond campus.
Getting around Williamsburg on Homecoming weekend
The simplest approach is to drive in once, park at your lodging and make a separate plan for campus and the stadium. Free parking at your inn doesn't guarantee a space near the Alumni House or Zable Stadium. During Homecoming weekend, those are two different problems.
The official weekend information page lists several options:
- Alumni House parking: Limited 15-minute temporary and accessible parking is available near the Alumni House on Thursday and Friday.
- Limited-mobility transport: Golf-cart transportation is available for people with limited mobility. Call 757-221-1750 for current guidance.
- Paid parking: Colonial Williamsburg offers paid parking within walking distance of campus.
- Bus service: Campus Route 8 runs seven days a week, every 30 minutes, and connects campus to the greater Williamsburg area.
For game-day parking and any shuttle details, use the parking and shuttle links on the Homecoming football page.
If you're coming by train, note that Amtrak has planned service disruptions south of Washington, D.C., from October 16–26, with bus connections in place.
Rochambeau's complimentary bicycles are best for a daytime ride. Colonial Williamsburg is about a ten-minute ride away. For late nights after the Bash, drive or arrange a ride.
Making a Williamsburg weekend of your Homecoming return
Homecoming is the reason for the trip, but Williamsburg is where you'll spend it. The best reunion weekends leave some white space between official events instead of filling every hour.
A few ways to use the gaps:
- A Duke of Gloucester Street walk at golden hour: Do it Friday or Saturday between campus programming. Merchants Square and the Historic Area sit right at the edge of campus, and the street looks the way you remember it.
- A loose Colonial Williamsburg loop: If you have a spare hour, ride a bike in from Capitol Landing Road and wander. Skip the overbuilt itinerary.
- The firepit after the Bash: For groups still catching up, the firewood is free and s'mores kits are sold in the lobby. It's the closest thing to a dorm-room conversation you'll get at this stage of life.
- A Sunday breakfast table for the whole group: Book one before everyone scatters back to Richmond, D.C. or Raleigh.
For more local ideas, browse things to do in Williamsburg, the Field Guide and Williamsburg travel tips from locals.
Why the Rochambeau name fits this weekend
The inn takes its name from Comte de Rochambeau. His French forces joined George Washington's Continental Army in 1781, and together they trapped Cornwallis at Yorktown. The siege began September 28 and ended with Cornwallis's surrender on October 19.
In 2026, Homecoming's centennial lands within days of that anniversary, in the middle of the nation's 250th year, at a roadside inn first opened in 1954. That's a lot of history for one long weekend. Learn the story behind Rochambeau.
Bringing kids and packing for October in Williamsburg
Homecoming can work well for families if you plan around the right events. The Homecoming Tailgate & Family Carnival runs noon–3 p.m. Saturday on the Sunken Garden and is the natural anchor for kids. Before you register younger travelers for evening events like Foodie Fest or the Saturday Night Bash, check each official event listing for child pricing and age rules.
Late-October days in Williamsburg can shift from warm afternoons to cool evenings, so pack for both:
- light layers for daytime events
- shoes that can handle wet grass on the Sunken Garden
- something green and gold
- a warmer outer layer for the Sunset Ceremony and late nights
- a clear bag if required under the current Tribe Athletics stadium policy
Book your Homecoming weekend base camp
Thursday, October 22 through Sunday, October 25 is a fixed date. If your group needs a room that sleeps four or five, book alongside your event plans. Pick the room that fits how your group actually travels:
- the Family Suite for the whole family
- Bunks for four reunion friends
- the General's Quarters for a milestone couple
- the Classic Double if the dog is coming too
Register for Homecoming events through homecoming.wm.edu. Online registration closes October 13, with on-site registration available October 22–24.
Reunion groups booking several rooms can contact Rochambeau for Homecoming travel questions.
Check Homecoming weekend availability
William & Mary Homecoming 2026 FAQs
When is William & Mary Homecoming 2026?
William & Mary Homecoming & Reunion Weekend runs Thursday, October 22 through Sunday, October 25, 2026, in Williamsburg, Virginia. The busiest days are Friday, with the parade, Sunset Ceremony and Foodie Fest, and Saturday, with football and the Bash. Full details are on the official events calendar.
When does William & Mary Homecoming registration close?
Online registration closes October 13, 2026. After that, you can register on-site October 22–24 at Hunter Hall A in the Alumni House. Evening registration for Sunken Garden events is available Friday and Saturday, subject to availability. Some community events require separate registration.
Who does William & Mary play in the 2026 Homecoming football game?
William & Mary hosts Georgetown on Saturday, October 24, at Zable Stadium at Cary Field. Tribe Athletics lists a 3:30 p.m. kickoff. Tickets are bought separately from weekend registration, and discounted tickets are sold through the official Homecoming football page. Confirm details before you travel.
Is Homecoming the same as William & Mary graduation or Commencement?
No. Homecoming & Reunion Weekend is an October alumni event. Commencement is a separate spring event with its own schedule and process. William & Mary lists 2027 Commencement events for May 20–22, 2027, with the main ceremony on the evening of Saturday, May 22.
Where should a reunion group or family stay for Homecoming?
Choose lodging by group size, parking needs and how late you'll be out. At Rochambeau, the Family Suite sleeps five with two en suite bathrooms, and Bunks sleeps four. Both come with free parking outside the door and contactless check-in. Compare the rooms.
Is there a minimum stay at Rochambeau over Homecoming weekend?
The General's Quarters has a two-night minimum stay year-round. That fits easily into a Thursday-to-Sunday Homecoming trip. For other room types, the booking calendar shows available stay lengths for your dates, and the FAQs cover policies like cancellation and pets.